Ginga Denestsu Weed: Taichi's Exile
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Summary inside. Read and review. No flames or hate, please!
1. Ch 1 Exile

GINGA DENSETSU WEED: TAICHI'S EXILE

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi © Me

Halo © HaloTheShepherd on

Summary- During the battle against the Ohu army and Hougen of the Alps, Taichi, a Border Collie under the Great Dane's command, turns on him due to his cruel ways. Hougen does not take this lightly and punishes Taichi for his defiance. Taichi, his right eye and ear now gone, barely manages to escape with life, but luckily for him, he meets some unlikely friends. (Takes place after Jerome's exile)

**Ch. 1- Exile**

The snow fell softly throughout Futago Pass and on the fortress of stone known as Gajou. It is here that our story takes place.

Inside Gajou, the current ruler of this territory, Hougen of the Alps, was sleeping in his lair after he had just beaten his prisoner, the legendary Gin of Ohu, into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, a German Shepherd entered the lair. She was Halo, Hougen's "girl".

"Oi, Hougen!" she called, forcing him awake.

"What now, Halo?" Hougen asked, irritably.

"Some idiot's causing a ruckus outside," Halo answered.

That immediately got the Great Dane's attention.

XXX

Outside Gajou, the dogs had gathered, yelling.

A Border Collie was fighting with them. He was the typical black-and-white Border Collie with a brown collar around his neck, indicating he was once a pet.

One dog lunged at the Border Collie, but he grabbed him by his throat and threw him into the snow. Another tried to pin him down, but he kicked him in the jaw. One more tried to bite on his leg but he pinned him into the snow, smothering him.

"That's enough!"

The Border Collie and the other dogs looked up to see Hougen and Halo approaching.

"Hougen-sama!" the dogs exclaimed.

"What the hell's going on out here?" the Great Dane asked. "I was in the middle of taking a nap!"

"It was Taichi, sir," said Kite the Greyhound of Buujin, one of Hougen's four generals. "He started a fight for no reason."

"I _do_ have a reason!" exclaimed Taichi. "I've had enough of the way you run things around here, Hougen!"

Hougen narrowed his eyes.

"Using females for their bodies, killing others just because you don't like hearing their tongues, and most of all, trying to take an entire country from a great army!" Taichi snarled. "It's cruel and you know it!"

"You'll regret saying that, you little worm," Hougen growled.

The dogs around them snickered silently, knowing what was coming.

**SLISH!** Hougen threw his head down, his canines clamping down on Taichi's right ear and creating a huge gash where his eye should be.

Hougen had gouged out Taichi's eye.

The Border Collie gagged and screamed in agony as a nub of what remained of his ear throbbed and blood ran down his face.

"You know how I feel about my smart-ass mutts like you," sneered Hougen as he turned away. "Kamakiri!"

Kamakiri of Bingo appeared before Hougen.

"Yeah," said the Irish Wolfhound.

"Kill him," Hougen hissed.

Kamakiri looked down at Taichi and smirked, a malevolent snicker in his throat.

"Gladly," said Kamakiri.

Taichi's single eye went wide as Kamakiri and the surrounding dogs began to advance.


	2. Ch 2 Lost and Found

**Ch. 2- Lost and Found**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi and Bones © Me

"He ran this way!"

"Over there!"

Taichi ran through the forest as fast as he could, bloody and sore. His body was practically screaming at him to stop and rest, but with Kamakiri and his troop hot on his tail, that wouldn't be likely.

A trail of red stained the snow as Taichi ran, and with every sprint, Taichi was growing weaker and weaker. He knew had to stop, but first he had to lose Kamakiri.

"Come back here and take your death like a man!" Kamakiri yelled at the Border Collie.

Taichi soon saw a river up ahead.

_Perfect!_ He thought to himself. Without a second thought, he jumped in. The freezing temperature stung his wounds and it made him shiver and the current seemed strong, but he managed to get across and continued to run, deeper and deeper into the forest.

Kamakiri and his troop stopped in front of the river, seeing as how the bloody trail ended there.

"Kamakiri-sama," said Stone, "it appears he swam downriver."

"There's no way he could've survived," said a Chinook. "The current looks too strong and fast. He could've been swept away."

_Damn it,_ Kamakiri cursed in his head. _If we go back without a body, Hougen will have my head for certain!_

"What do you suggest we do, Kamakiri-sama?" asked another Border Collie that looked almost exactly Taichi.

Kamakiri looked at the Border Collie with narrowed eyes.

"Hold still, Bones," he said, simply.

"W…what?" the Border Collies now known as Bones questioned.

A pause came…but then, the air was filled with an agonized scream before it went silent again.

XXX

Taichi, finally certain that he had lost Kamakiri, limped slowly, his wounds throbbing.

_Finally,_ he thought. _Now…I can just…_

**PLOP! **Taichi fell to the snowy ground in a heap as his vision suddenly went dark before him.

_Rest…_

XXX

Mel walked proudly throughout the woods, a dead snake dangling in his jaws.

_Wait till the others see the snake I caught!_ he thought to himself. _I can't wait to get back to the hideout!_

Suddenly, Mel stopped in his tracks.

**CAW! CA-CAW! CAW!**

Looking up, he saw a huge flock of crows heading East.

_That's odd…_ thought Mel.

Just then, a scent came to his nose…

It was the scent of blood, and it was coming from wherever the crows were headed.

Wasting no time, Mel followed the crows and the scent until he saw the flock bunched together in a big black pile.

Mel's fears had been confirmed when he saw what looked like a white paw underneath.

**ARF! ARF-ARF!**

Mel barked at the crows, startling them into flying away. It was then that Mel caught a good look at the dog they attempted to devour.

It was Taichi.

"Oh, no!" Mel gasped.


	3. Ch 3 Safe

**Ch. 3- Safe**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi © Me

"It's amazing he's even alive."

"I can't believe he got beaten by a bunch of birds."

"It wasn't birds! When I found him, it looked like he had bite-marks on him."

"Shh! Quiet, you guys! Look! He's coming to."

Taichi's only eye slowly opened. At first, his vision seemed blurry, but after a few seconds, it became clear. Once it did, he gasped at what he saw.

He was in some kind of large cave, surrounded by many dogs of different breeds.

He immediately jumped to his paws with a yelp.

"Where am I?" Taichi questioned in a frenzy. "Who are you guys? What's going on-OW!"

He stopped his babbling when he felt a jolt of pain shoot through him.

"Calm down!" said a female Akita. "You shouldn't move around so much! You're still wounded, after all."

"Yeah!" said Mel. "Besides, you're safe, now!"

Looking around, Taichi got a good look at the dogs around him.

One was a white-and-black speckled English Setter and at least 22 Shikoku Kens, one of which was greyer than the others and had black speckles all over his body.

There was a Kishu dog with many scars all over his body. He had a bit of a rebellious look to him.

There was a Shiba Inu, and what looked a Labrador mix with big dark brown blotches, both of them wearing collars.

There was also a Great Dane, like Hougen, only this one was fawn instead of harlequin like him, and he had both of his ears.

There were three Kai Kens, one of which had dark rings around his eyes.

There was another Saluki with white fur and scars on his face and a Great Pyrenees with light yellow fur and brown ears. His right eye was missing, just like his.

There was Mel, the little Golden Retriever, and a Borzoi with orange and white fur.

The one that caught his eye most was the young, silver-furred, tora-ge Akita standing in front of him. If Taichi didn't know any better, he'd say he looked like just Gin.

"Nice to meet you," the Akita pup greeted. "I'm Weed."

Taichi seemed to relax, but he still didn't lower his guard.

"I'm…I'm Taichi," he introduced himself.

"My friend, Mel, found you in the forest," Weed explained. "You would've died if it weren't for him. He called us as soon as he could."

"Uh…thanks," Taichi said. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hideout of the Ohu army," said Mel.

Taichi gasped silently. So these were the dogs that were fighting against Hougen? So that meant that pup that was leading them was…Gin's son?

"What's up with you?" asked Hook. "You act like you just saw a ghost!"

Taichi suddenly got down low before Weed, his single eye closed.

"Please!" he cried, suddenly. "Don't kill me! I didn't mean to intrude on your territory! I was just trying to get away from Kamakiri!"

The dogs around him gasped.

"Kamakiri?" Hiro repeated.

"So the reason you looked so beat up," GB began, "was because of him?"

"Well, not exactly," Taichi replied. "It was Hougen who ordered him to kill me."

"Wait a second," Kyoushiro said. "So you were a part of Hougen's army?"

"I was before I was exiled," answered Taichi. "I was sick and tired of the way he treated his followers, especially females! I had to say something about it!"

"Well," Weed began, "it sounds to me that you did the right thing, Taichi-san."

"Oi," Kyoushiro called. "Should we really be helping him, Weed? He could be a spy for Hougen."

"I agree," added GB. "We should probably get rid of him."

"He's wounded," Weed retorted. "We should let him stay here and rest for a few days, at least before we let him leave."

"I assure you," Taichi began, "the days of me being one of Hougen's men are over. Once I'm back on my feet, I'll leave you. Thank you, though."

"You're welcome," Weed said. "I assure, you're very safe here."

Taichi smiled a bit before he laid down against the soft hay bed.


	4. Ch 4 Friends New and Old

**Ch. 4- Friends New and Old**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi and Bunta © Me

The Ohu army went out hunting the next morning. Taichi was still there, but he still needed time for his injuries to heal before he was free to go.

Mel came back to the den with a pheasant in his mouth. Upon entering, he saw that Taichi was asleep, again.

The Golden Retriever pup couldn't help but smile. Taichi was exhausted during his run from Kamakiri and his men with all those bites on him. It wouldn't surprise anybody if he slept for days on end.

Mel slowly approached Taichi with light footsteps, being careful to try and not wake him, and gently set the dead pheasant in front of the sleeping Border Collie.

_Some food for Taichi-san,_ Mel thought to himself before he headed back outside.

Unbeknownst to Mel, Taichi had been awake the whole time, and was watching the pup from behind as he left with a smile. He chuckled before he looked down at the bird that Mel had left before he picked up and began to eat it, flesh, bones, and all, minus the feathers of course.

"Mel's a sweet kid, isn't he?"

Taichi looked up and saw Rocket, a dead fawn in his mouth.

"Oh, Rocket-san," said Taichi.

"Just 'Rocket' is fine," Rocket replied as he entered, carrying the fawn. "Pheasant is good, but have some deer meat, too. Young deer is nice and tender and it'll do wonders for your strength."

"That's a very generous offer," Taichi began, "but I'd be hurting Mel's feelings if I took the deer, not to mention I'd be taking your kill."

"Don't worry about it," Rocket said. "You're our guest here. Weed says so."

"I really don't deserve your kindness," Taichi said.

"You should be lucky that I'm not Kyoushiro," joked Rocket. "He's not the type to forgive so easily as Weed is."

Taichi couldn't help but laugh, and Rocket laughed along with him.

"You know," said Taichi. "Mel kind of reminds me of myself when I was his age."

"Is that so?" Rocket questioned.

"Yes," Taichi answered. "And you, Rocket. You remind me of Bunta."

"Who's that?" asked Rocket.

"Bunta was my best friend growing up," he said. "We shared a lot of things. We were even born on the same day."

"They say that only happens to one in a million people," said Rocket. "You must be very lucky."

"Not lucky enough, it seems," said Taichi, referring to his missing eye and ear.

"Sorry," Rocket apologized.

"Don't be," said Taichi. "At least I know that now, I'm safe with friends, like you and Mel…and Weed, especially."

Rocket only smiled, and from behind him, Mel and Weed were smiling, too.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the town close to the mountains, a young boy was heading home after running errands for his mother. He was asked to go to the market and get some milk, bread, various fruits and vegetables, and most importantly, dog food.

As he entered his yard via the front gate and trudged through 3 feet of snow to get to the porch, he gasped.

His Weimaraner was supposed to be tethered to the front porch, but all that was there was the chain.

His dog was gone.

Rushing inside, the boy dropped all the groceries on the floor and shouted, "Mom! Mom! Bunta's gone!"

"What?" the mother questioned. "Gone? How can that be?"

"He must've chewed through his chain and jumped over the gate!" the boy exclaimed. "Mom, we have to find him!"

XXX

A brown Weimaraner with a lime green collar around his neck was running through the forest. The snow stung at his paws and they even started to bleed a little, but he didn't care. He had only one thing in mind.

_Hang on, Taichi. I'm coming to bring you home!_


	5. Ch 5 Hougen's Fear

**Ch. 5- Hougen's Fear**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi © Me

Halo © HaloTheShepherd on

Back at Gajou, Hougen was pacing around his lair, trying to vent out his frustration. Sitting nearby were his brother, Genba, Sniper, and Halo.

"Damn, that Kamakiri," Hougen seethed. "Where does he get off, trying to trick me?"

"I don't know why you insist on keeping him around, brother," said Genba.

"Indeed," added Sniper. "That guy's nothing but a waste of fur."

-Flashback-

Kamakiri returned to Gajou with his men, the dead body of Bones the Border Collie hanging limp in his jaws.

At that moment, he was greeted by Hougen.

"Oh," said Hougen. "I see you brought back that traitor."

"He was easy to kill," Kamakiri replied with a smirk. "Taichi didn't a stand chance against my fangs. I killed him with one bite to his head."

Hougen took a good long look at the dead dog in Kamakiri's mouth. He narrowed his eyes and growled.

"That's not him," said the Great Dane.

Kamakiri's eyes widened.

**THWACK!** Hougen tackled Kamakiri to the ground, his fangs very close to puncturing his jugular vein.

"You think you can trick me so easily?" Hougen roared.

"I…I'm sorry!" Kamakiri choked.

"You bet your ass you're sorry!" growled Hougen. "Where's the REAL Taichi?"

"I don't know!" Kamakiri gasped, trying to escape the Great Dane's iron bite. "He escaped us by swimming across a river! He's probably dead by now, anyway! Please, let me go!"

"I don't care!" Hougen said. "I said to bring him back to me dead, either way!"

"Please, Hougen!" Kamakiri begged. "Give me another chance! This time, I'll find Taichi and bring his head to you! As a bonus, I'll try and find the Weed kid, too! I swear it!"

A pause came.

Hougen thought it over. If Kamakiri could bring back Weed, too, then he would be able to have both him and Gin as his prisoners.

The Ohu soldiers would have no choice but to surrender without their precious leader to guide them.

Hougen let Kamakiri go, allowing the Irish Wolfhound to breathe.

"Fine," said Hougen. "Go find Taichi and that Weed brat, and if you come back without either of them, consider your days numbered, Kamakiri! Understand?"

"Y…yes," Kamakiri coughed before he staggered to his paws and walked away with his troop.

-Flashback End-

Hougen growled as he sat down.

"I don't see what the big deal is," said Halo. "It's just one traitor. He's probably dead by now, anyway!"

Hougen barked at Halo, causing her flinch slightly.

"One traitor is enough to get those Ohu bastards motivated!" he snarled. "Remember Rocket, Hook, and Sasuke? If Taichi happened to survive and turned to their side, that could cause the rest of my soldiers to go them, too! In the end, my empire will fall apart before it could start!"

Halo, Genba, and Sniper remained silent as Hougen continued to pace.

For the first time since he killed John…Hougen was afraid. Because of the betrayal of Rocket, Sasuke, and Hook, Hougen was fearful that his men would eventually turn on him and go to the Ohu army's side.

_Damn it all…_Hougen cursed in thought.


	6. Ch 6 Taichi Meets Yume

**Ch. 6- Taichi Meets Yume**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi and Yume © Me

It has been three days since the Ohu army had found Taichi. Since then, those who were suspicious began to feel more comfortable around him, and Taichi felt the same.

Today, Taichi felt well enough to stand up.

As he headed out of the hideout, Weed greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Taichi-san!" said Weed.

"Good morning, Weed," Taichi greeted him.

"Where are you going this morning?" Weed asked him.

"Well, I decided that since I'm well enough to stand," Taichi explained, "that I could go for a little walk."

"I see," said the young Akita. "Well, be careful, then."

"Definitely," the Border Collie said back before he went on his way.

XXX

Taichi walked through the woods, the snow crunching beneath his paws.

Without Kamakiri chasing after him, he had to admit, the woods was very peaceful.

At least for now…

"AHH! Let go of me!"

Taichi looked up upon hearing that shriek before he went off to investigate. Looking down a slope, he saw that there was a group of dogs, one of which was a female Chocolate Labrador Retriever. The dogs had her pinned against the snow, struggling to keep her down.

"Let go of me, I said!" the female barked at the aggressive males.

Taichi growled silently as he watched from the shadows of the trees.

These bastards were Hougen's dogs.

As he was about to go out and help, Taichi soon saw there was no need.

The female suddenly started to fight back, throwing the dogs off her and throttling them with her fangs.

Taichi smiled to himself before he turned to leave.

_I don't know what I was so worried about,_ he thought. _She can handle herself._

"AAAAUGH!"

Taichi froze before he went back to see what was going on, and gasped.

The Chocolate Lab was pinned down, again, this time by the throat, by a Bullmastiff.

"That's it!" yelled the Bullmastiff. "I don't care if Hougen wants females! I'm gonna kill this bitch right now!"

Taichi growled, and the fur along his back began to rise.

If there was one thing he hated, it's females being harassed by other males.

With a bark, Taichi ran out from the trees and lunged at the Bullmastiff, pushing him off the female.

"Quick!" he called to her. "Run for it!"

The confused female was still, at first, but then she turned to tail and ran like the Devil himself was after her.

Taichi prepared to follow the Chocolate Lab, but he was soon grabbed by the tail by a Chinook.

"Where are you going, punk?" sneered the Chinook.

"Anywhere," Taichi answered, "as long as its away from you bastards!"

**THWAK!** Taichi landed a swift kick right in the Chinook's eye, forcing him to let go as he screamed in pain. The Border Collie galloped off, going ahead of the Chocolate Lab.

"This way!" he said. "Follow me!"

The female decided not to question him and followed him into the woods. However, the rest of the dogs followed after them.

"Come back here!" they yelled.

As Taichi and the Chocolate Lab ran, the latter just felt the need to ask…

"Who are you?"

"I'll explain later," Taichi said. "Right now, we have to get away from these idiots! You keep going! I'll catch up with you later!"

With that being said, the female ran ahead of Taichi while he stayed behind. However, he wasn't going to fight the dogs. He was still recovering from the beating he got from Hougen days earlier.

He pushed his paws against a nearby tree and tried to push it down, but alas, his lanky frame was not enough.

Just then, Hiro appeared.

"What's going on here?" he asked lazily.

"Hiro!" Taichi exclaimed. "Quick, help me push down this tree!"

"Why?" asked Hiro.

Taichi's only ear picked up the sound of the dogs…drawing near.

"I'll explain later!" said Taichi. "Right now, just help me!"

With a shrug, Hiro placed his paws against the tree and pushed with Taichi.

**CRRRRAAACK!** The tree fell down with great force.

The dogs stopped upon seeing the tree about to come crashing down, and, seeing as how it was about to fall down right on top of them, they turned tail and ran like the cowards they were.

"Thanks a lot, Hiro," said Taichi as he watched the dogs run off.

"Who were they?" the Great Pyrenees asked.

"Hougen's followers," the Border Collie explained. "They were trying to take this female to Hougen."

Hiro growled.

"Scumbags," he whispered.

"You took the word right out of my mouth, Hiro," said Taichi.

XXX

Later that day, Taichi had managed to find the Chocolate Lab and bring her to the Ohu hideout.

The female introduced herself as Yume.

Weed said that she also had permission to stay for as long as she wanted.

As Yume was getting used to things, Taichi decided to help her feel more comfortable.

Yume was currently talking with Reika when Taichi suddenly appeared behind the former with a rabbit in his mouth.

"Hi, there," Taichi greeted.

"H…hi," Yume greeted back.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, ma'am," Taichi said to her. "Here, have this rabbit."

"That's very sweet of you, but I couldn't," said Yume.

"I insist," said Taichi as he gave her the rabbit.

Yume was silent for a moment before she took the offered kill into her jaws.

Reika watched with a smile on her face at the scene that played before her.

Taichi's cheeks suddenly went as pink as cherry blossoms as his eyes met Yume's. He felt his heart skip a beat at least twice. His tail wagged at least a million times a minute.

"Um," Taichi hummed. "I know this little spot by the river where some fish still like to feed."

"Really?" Yume asked. "Well, lead the way."

Taichi smiled before he headed out of the den with Yume following behind him.

As they walked away from the hideout, GB was the first to spot them leaving.

"Oi, Sasuke," GB said to the Shiba Inu.

"Hmm?" Sasuke hummed in question.

"Check out Taichi with the new girl," said GB.

"Yeah, what about them?" Sasuke asked.

"Idiot!" GB exclaimed. "It's obvious he's gonna go off and do something with her!"

"So?" Sasuke questioned. "Let him do his thing."

GB sighed in frustration as he watched Taichi and Yume leave.

_I was really hoping she'd fall for me…_ he thought in disappointment.

XXX

Taichi and Yume sat by the river, watching the fish swim by. Taichi had his paws in the running water, waiting for one of the fish to nibble on his toes while Yume watched silently. The water was cold and it stung, but Taichi knew that the patience would be worth it.

"This is a technique my Father once taught me," said Taichi. "It's all about patience and control."

At that moment, one of the fish swam up to Taichi's paw and began to nibble on his toes. The Border Collie smiled before he snatched it in his jaws.

"Nice catch," Yume praised.

"Thanks," Taichi replied. "I know it looks easy, but it actually takes a lot of practice and skill."

There was a pause.

"Why so quiet?" Taichi asked.

Yume looked down at the river, her eyes hooded.

"You…you remind me of my brother," she said.

"Your brother, eh?" Taichi questioned.

"Yes," Yume answered. "He was sweet and very nice. Funny, too." She suddenly looked sad.

"What's wrong?" Taichi asked.

There was a long eerie silence…before Yume felt the need to speak again.

"My brother led this rebellion…against Hougen," she explained. "He and the group he went with was greatly outnumbered and outmatched…my brother's friend…a Husky dog named Bleu…he was the only who managed to come back…he said…that my brother and the rest of the dogs…Hougen killed every last one of them…!"

Taichi was speechless. Hougen simply had no regard for any dog that lived here in the Ohu territory…especially dogs with family members.

He turned to Yume, who hid her face in her paws, waterfalls of tears flowing from her eyes.

"That's why Hougen is really after me," she sobbed. "When he found out that my brother had a sister, he wants to kill me, too."

"I'm sorry, Yume," he said as he placed a consoling paw on her back. "I've experienced Hougen's cruelty, first-hand…I used to be one of his followers."

Yume gasped.

"It's because of him that I lost my right eye and ear," Taichi explained. "On that day…the day I was exiled…I swore never to follow someone like Hougen EVER again."

"You're very brave, Taichi," said Yume.

"So are you, Yume," the Border Collie said with a smile.

There was a long silence. The two dogs stared each other in the eyes, long and hard. Then, Yume gently brushed her crown against Taichi's chin.

No more words were spoken between the two…


	7. Ch 7 Goodbyes?

**Ch. 7- Goodbyes…?**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi and Yume © Me

Taichi and Yume didn't come back until late last night while everyone else was asleep.

The next morning, most of the guys were making fun of Taichi for having a "new girlfriend".

"She needed consoling after that whole experience, so I consoled her!" Taichi complained.

"Yeah, in more ways than one!" Kagetora teased.

As annoying as it was, Taichi had to admit that it was fun having friends to tease him.

However, Taichi would miss these days, for today, he felt well enough to leave the Ohu soldiers.

He wanted to go back home to his human family that missed him so.

"Are you sure you want to leave, Taichi-san?" asked Weed.

"Yes, Weed," Taichi said. "I'm very grateful to you for saving my life, and I'll never forget the things that you and your comrades have done to help me feel like I belonged with you, but I mustn't burden you anymore."

"You could always join us, you know," Rocket said.

"I would," Taichi began, "but I probably wouldn't be of any use to you."

"Just when I was beginning to like you, too," said Kyoushiro.

"Yeah, me too," added Ken.

"We'll really miss you, Taichi-san," Mel said.

"I'll miss you, too," said Taichi with a smile before he turned to Yume. "I'll miss you most of all, Yume."

"So will I," the Chocolate Lab said as she gently nuzzled him.

"You're still welcome to come with me," said Taichi.

"I'd love to," Yume said, "but my home is here in the wild."

"I can respect that," Taichi replied.

And so, Taichi gave one long last look at the Ohu group…his newfound friends…before he turned to leave.

"I promise," said Taichi, "I'll come visit you all when I can." With that, he walked away. "Goodbye, my friends."

"Goodbye, Taichi-san," Weed said. "We'll never forget you!"

XXX

Taichi walked through the woods, headed down the mountain and toward the town below.

_I wonder if my humans were worried about me the whole time I was gone,_ he thought. _I bet Bunta missed me, too._

As he walked, he couldn't shake this feeling that someone was watching him from behind.

Looking back, Taichi saw a German Shepherd with his left ear bitten off.

The Border Collie immediately went into alert mode, growling and snarling.

"Relax," said the German Shepherd. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Who are you?" asked Taichi.

"I'm Jerome," the German Shepherd introduced himself.

(A/N: WHOOT!)

Taichi soon lowered his guard.

"How long have you been watching me?" he asked.

"Quite a while," Jerome said. "Actually, since the day Weed and the others found you, to be precise."

Taichi stepped back, a little uneasy.

"How do you know Weed and the others?"

"You want the truth?" asked Jerome.

Taichi nodded in response.

"I used to be a part of them," the German Shepherd said.

Taichi gasped silently.

If this guy used to be a part of them, why was he spying on them the whole time?

"I know what you're thinking," Jerome said. "You see, I respected Weed as my leader. As such, I was supposed to follow his orders to the letter," he explained. "Unfortunately, I believed that Weed's spirit was much too pure for his own good. When these two spies from Hougen threatened to go after him, again, I had no choice but to kill them. Weed ordered me not to, but I had to protect him. As a result, Weed forced me into exile."

Taichi was silent. He never would've guessed that Weed would punish his own men like Hougen did.

"Listen, my friend," Jerome said. "I know what else you're thinking, and no, Weed isn't like Hougen at all. He is the son of Gin of Ohu, you know, and he is actually the true justice. He may be soft, but he was right to banish me. Fighting will only lead to more fighting."

"I see," said Taichi.

"Maybe you shouldn't say goodbye to Weed and the others so soon," Jerome said. "Believe it or not, you could be a great asset to him."

"How so?" Taichi asked.

"You were a part of Hougen's army, correct?" questioned Jerome, earning a nod from Taichi. "Therefore, you could give Weed information about Gajou and where Gin is being held."

Taichi gasped silently.

Jerome had a point. Taichi held valuable information about Hougen's forces that could help Weed in his fight!

Jerome gave Taichi a smile as he said, "I think you know what you have to do, friend."

"You're right," Taichi said back before he headed back up the mountains. "Thank you, Jerome-san!"

Jerome watched as the Border Collie left in silence.

_This is what you really want,_ he thought. _Right, Weed?_

XXX

Taichi ran through the woods as fast as he could, hoping that Weed and the others were still at the hideout.

Upon reaching a slope, he saw that they were…but they weren't alone.

The Ohu army had been surrounded by a large pack of dogs, and the one that had Weed cornered right now was…

"Kamakiri!" Taichi exclaimed.


	8. Ch 8 Attack

**Ch. 8- Attack**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi © Me

Kamakiri forced Weed back into a tree, a malevolent snicker in his throat. The others would've tried to help him if they weren't busy fighting off Kamakiri's men, themselves.

Weed snarled, unafraid of the huge Irish Wolfhound towering over him.

"I won't lose to you, this time, brat," Kamakiri hissed. "Once I kill you and bring your head to Hougen, he'll treat me like a king!"

"Stop talking shit, Kamakiri!"

**BAM!** Kamakiri was suddenly blindsided by a black-and-white blur.

It was Taichi to the rescue!

"Taichi-san!" Weed exclaimed.

"Yo!" Taichi greeted.

"You came back!" Yume cried.

"We can exchange greetings later!" Taichi said. "Everybody, follow me!"

With that, Taichi ran up a slope with the Ohu dogs following behind him.

Kamakiri staggered to his paws and shook his head.

"Don't just stand there, you fools!" he called to his troop. "After them! Don't let them get away!"

"Yes, Kamakiri-sama!" the dogs cried.

XXX

"Why did you come back?" asked Rocket as he followed Taichi.

"Yeah! I thought you were gonna go back to live with your human family!" Mel added.

"I changed my mind!" Taichi answered. "That a problem?"

"Actually," GB began, "we're glad you showed up!"

"But what do we do now?" asked Reika.

"Let's split up into different groups!" Taichi said. "When we lose them, meet me at this shrine nearby this place! We'll be safe there! Good luck until then!"

"Yosh!" Weed cried. "Everyone! Split up, now!"

The dogs split up, disappearing beyond the trees, and Weed and Taichi ended up going in the same direction together.

At that moment, Kamakiri and his men appeared and saw the trails of paw prints leading into different directions.

"Where'd they go?" Stone asked.

"It appears they split up into groups," Kamakiri said. "The fools. They've signed their own death warrants. Since they split up, we'll do the same! Go after them!"

"Yes!" the dogs shouted before they ran off after the splinter groups of dogs, with Kamakiri going in the direction that Weed and Taichi ran off in.

XXX

Taichi and Weed ran side-by-side until they stopped at the heart of the forest.

"I think we lost them," Weed panted.

"I really hope the others are okay," said Taichi.

"Don't worry about them," said Weed. "I have faith in my friends."

"Are you sure they can handle themselves?" Taichi asked.

"I don't know about them, but I'm pretty sure that you two are in deep crap!"

Weed and Taichi looked up and saw Kamakiri approach them from the shadows, licking his chops.

"Damn it," Weed cursed.

"Looks like we're not out of the woods, just yet," Taichi said.

"Now, not only do I have the son of Gin," he began, "but now I have a traitor, too! Life just can't get any better! HAHAHAHAHA~!"

"Listen, Weed," Taichi whispered to the young Akita. "I'll hold him off while you make a run for it."

"Don't underestimate me, Taichi-san," whispered Weed. "I am the son of Gin of Ohu. I'm stronger than I look. We can take Kamakiri together!"

Kamakiri got down low, poised to attack.

"Prepare yourselves," he sneered before he lunged at the two dogs.

"Move!" Taichi cried before he and Weed split in different directions, causing Kamakiri to hit the snow.

Taichi lunged at the Irish Wolfhound, biting down on his jaw. Weed got on his back and bite at his spine, sending him screaming in pain.

"Get off me!" Kamakiri yelled as he shook the two off. Then he grabbed Taichi by his throat and lifted him up, throttling him back and forth.

"Die, you prick!" the Irish Wolfhound yelled as he proceeded to strangle Taichi.

"Hang on, Taichi-san!" shouted Weed as he bashed his skull against Kamakiri's head, forcing him to let Taichi go.

Taichi gasped and coughed, a small stream of blood seeping from his neck.

"That was close," he choked.

Weed had his fangs glued on Kamakiri's neck with a forceful bite. Kamakiri attempted to pull Weed off by his tail, unaware that he was actually doing more harm to himself than good.

Once Kamakiri pried Weed from his neck, a large gash appeared, a large stream of blood dripping from the wound.

Weed landed on his feet beside Taichi.

"Are you all right, Taichi-san?" Weed asked the Border Collie.

"Yeah," Taichi answered. "I'm okay."

Kamakiri came at them, again, jaws open and fangs exposed. Taichi and Weed managed to duck out of the way, the former making a bite to his side, before the Irish Wolfhound bit at the tree behind them. The bite force was so strong, he actually chopped the tree in half!

The tree came crashing down, nearly falling right on top of the three dogs if they hadn't moved out of the way in time.

That immediately gave Taichi an idea.

"Weed," Taichi whispered. "Listen to me. This might sound crazy, but I need you to cut down these trees."

"That sounds a little risky," Weed whispered.

"Trust me," Taichi said. "It'll work."

Weed nodded.

"Yosh," he said. "I think I have an attack that just might work."

"Good," said Taichi before he looked up and gasped. "Look out! Here he comes, again!"

Taichi and Weed jumped away in the nick of time, for Kamakiri came lunging at them again, only to bite nothing but air.

"All you two cowards are doing is running away!" Kamakiri said.

Weed turned to Taichi.

"Taichi-san! Throw me!" he commanded.

"What?" Taichi questioned.

"Just do it!" Weed exclaimed.

Taichi paused before he grabbed Weed and threw him at Kamakiri, dead-on.

"ZETSU TENROU BATTOUGA!" Weed cried.

Suddenly, the silver-furred Akita pup started spinning around, head-over-heels.

Kamakiri gasped before he ducked beneath the spinning attack, and then raised his head back up.

"Missed me," he said.

"I wasn't really aiming for you," Taichi hissed.

Kamakiri seemed confused at first, until he heard the sound of wood crunching. Looking around, he saw that Weed was slicing through the trees like a buzz saw. Once he stopped, the trees began to fall down, one-by-one, right on top of Kamakiri.

The Irish Wolfhound tried to get away, but he ended up trapped beneath the fallen trees.

"Now's our chance!" Taichi said. "Let's get outta here!"

"Yosh!" agreed Weed as he followed Taichi ran away.

Kamakiri watched from beneath his current prison as the two dogs ran off, and growled.

_My one chance at a promotion,_ the resentful dog thought, _GONE!_


	9. Ch 9 The Joining of Few

**Ch. 9- The Joining of Few**

Ginga © Yoshihiro Takahashi

Taichi, Yume, and Bunta © Me

Later that day, Weed and Taichi made it to an abandoned Buddha shrine, where the rest of the Ohu soldiers managed to find them, all safe-and-sound.

"I'm glad to see you all made it," said Weed.

"Well, we almost didn't," Kyoushiro joked.

"Thank God Taichi came back, huh?" asked Ken.

Mel was the first to run up to Taichi and jump at him in what looked like a canine-style hug.

"Thank you, Taichi-san!" he said.

Taichi chuckled as he gently wrapped a paw around the Golden Retriever.

Following behind Mel was Yume, who nuzzled Taichi lovingly.

"Now that you're back," she began, "are you here to stay?"

"Yes, I am," Taichi answered before he turned to Weed. "Weed…during my time with you, I had neglected to mention that I hold valuable information that will help you in your fight against Hougen and rescue your father."

Weed gasped.

"I will join you as one of your new tacticians," Taichi said with a smirk. "Is that a problem…Leader?"

Weed smiled back at him.

"No," the Akita pup said. "It's no problem at all!"

"I'm joining, too!" Yume said with a wink. "I may not look it, but I'm a strong fighter!"

"Thank you both," Weed said gratefully.

Taichi and Yume smiled and the rest of the Ohu soldiers laughed.

"OI~!"

The dogs looked up and saw a brown Weimaraner with a lime green collar around his neck, his body covered in small scratches.

Taichi gasped.

"Bunta!" he cried.

"Taichi!" Bunta exclaimed as the two best friends ran up to each other.

"What are you doing here?" asked Taichi.

"I came to bring you home!" Bunta said. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Taichi heaved a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Bunta," he apologized, "but I'm not going home. Ever."

"What?" Bunta said. "Have you lost your mind? Look what happened to your eye and ear, man! You won't make it out here!"

"Bunta, I'm sorry," said Taichi, "but I've made my decision and I'm sticking with it!"

"But what about your master?" asked Bunta. "What about Ino? The poor girl misses you, terribly!"

(A/N: No, everyone. It's not Ino from Naruto)

Taichi swallowed the lump in his throat. Ino was this little girl who used to own Taichi before he ran away. He knew that she probably missed him when he left, and he would like to see her again.

"As much as I miss Ino," Taichi said, "I have a new duty, now. In order to defend what is truly just, I must go with Weed and the others. Until then, Ino will have to wait."

Bunta heaved out a sigh of his own.

"In all my life," he began, "I've never known you feel so strongly about something, before. If this is what you want to do, Taichi, then I won't stop you."

"Thank you, Bunta," said Taichi.

"I just have one thing to say," Bunta said. "Is it all right if I join, too?"

Taichi seemed surprised, but then he smiled.

"Of course, you can," he said.

"Thank you all," Weed said. "It's small, but your numbers are a great asset to us."

"Yeah!" GB agreed. "We could use someone like you, Taichi!"

Suddenly, the dogs raised their heads to the orange sky and let out long, proud howls. Their cries were the sounds of welcome to the three brave souls who joined their cause.

With three new members, Weed and his army had grown stronger, maybe not by military strength, but in friendship…definitely.

THE END


End file.
